Elsworth War Memorial
Church of the Holy Trinity, Church Lane, Elsworth, Cambridge, CB23 4HU
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1433344
- Date first listed:
- 04-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Elsworth War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Church of the Holy Trinity, Church Lane, Elsworth, Cambridge, CB23 4HU
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1433344
- Date first listed:
- 04-Apr-2016
- List Entry Name:
- Elsworth War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Church of the Holy Trinity, Church Lane, Elsworth, Cambridge, CB23 4HU
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Church of the Holy Trinity, Church Lane, Elsworth, Cambridge, CB23 4HU
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Cambridgeshire
- District:
- South Cambridgeshire (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Elsworth
- National Grid Reference:
- TL3183663577
Summary
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions.
Reasons for Designation
Elsworth war memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons;
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design interest: as an accomplished and well-realised war memorial which takes the form of a statue of a weeping angel holding a laurel wreath;
* Group value: with the Church of the Holy Trinity (listed Grade I).
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. One such memorial was erected in Elsworth in 1921 to honour the 18 men of the parish who died during the conflict. Following the Second World War a second dedicatory inscription was added to commemorate the eight local men who died during this conflict.
Details
First World War memorial, unveiled and dedicated in 1921, with Second World War additions.
MATERIALS: of stone.
PLAN: it is square on plan.
DESCRIPTION: the war memorial stands c 10m to the west of the west tower of the Church of Holy Trinity (listed Grade I). It comprises a three-step base on which stands a tall plinth with recessed panels which tapers in square section to a cornice with ball decoration. Above is a capstone which rises to a small, moulded plinth on which stands a statue of a weeping angel holding a laurel wreath. The west face of the plinth is inscribed 'PRO PATRIA' with the names of the men who died inscribed in the recessed panel below with their rank. The recessed panel on the north face is inscribed 'EUROPEAN WAR / 1914 - 1918 / LEST WE FORGET. / THESE MEN OF OURS, / UNSELFISH, UNAFRAID / WENT TO THE / WORLD-WIDE FIGHT; / FORGET NOT / HOW THEY DIED, / AND HOW WE PRAYED / FOR ENGLAND / AND THE RIGHT' while the panel on the east face is inscribed 'GRANT THEM O LORD / EXTERNAL REST, / AND MAY THE / LIGHT EVERLASTING / SHINE / UPON ' THEM'. On the south face is the inscription 'WORLD WAR / 1939 - 1945' with the names of the men who died inscribed below with their rank.
This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 16 January 2017.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 26 February 2016 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/8385
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 January 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/230771
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
The listed building(s) is/are shown coloured blue on the attached map. Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’), structures attached to or within the curtilage of the listed building (save those coloured blue on the map: a three-step base, tall plinth and statue of a weeping angel holding a laurel wreath) are not to be treated as part of the listed building for the purposes of the Act.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 21-Jun-2026 at 17:11:59.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.